Infrastructure Projects Indonesia: Soekarno-Hatta Airport Skytrain

The skytrain, an automated people-mover system (APMS) that serves to transport airline passengers and visitors between the three terminals on Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (located just outside Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta), commenced limited operations on Sunday (17/09). This skytrain will enhance the connectivity between the three terminals at Indonesia's busiest airport.

In the first phase, the skytrain, which is operated by Indonesian state-controlled airport operator Angkasa Pura II (AP II), will transfer passengers between terminal 2 and terminal 3, three times a day: 07:00 am to 10:00 am; 12.00 pm to 14:00 pm; and 17:00 pm to 19:00 pm. In the next phase, which is expected to be completed in December 2017, the skytrain will also be able to transfer passengers to terminal 1. Total length of the track will then be 3 kilometers.

Muhammad Awaluddin, President Director of AP II, said the development of the USD $70 million skytrain shows that the development of the transportation sector in Indonesia is in progress and therefore society can be offered better transportation services.

The new skytrain is Indonesia's first automated guide-way transit. Ultimately, it will be unmanned (no drivers and staff) although during the first six months there is a driver inside the skytrain, mainly tasked with informing the public about the skytrain's services. It is hoped that this pioneering project will boost further development of Indonesia's transportation sector, Awaluddin added.

Three skytrain units (each having two wagons), which can reach a maximum speed of 60 km/hour, will be able to serve up to 528 passengers in total, combined when the whole track comes into use.

The track and stations were constructed by state-controlled construction company Wijaya Karya and by private engineering & management consulting services company Indulexco, while the skytrain units were manufactured by LEN Industi dan Woojin (South Korea).